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and Karia pinned him from three sides. They blasted him
with fiery breaths. Huge chucks of flesh and muscle flew off
his body.
The sudden onslaught from the three dragon clan leaders
drove him away from the cavern. Bask appeared in his path,
assailing him with wave upon wave of fire balls. The mystic
dragon drew near to the man. He slashed at the wizard,
catching him across the chest, cleaving him open. With one
last swipe of his tail, Arcane struck Bask on the shoulder, the
tail sliding over his head, dislodging the skull cap.
Lior’s scream echoed above the battle.
Unable to help, Seren, heart pounding in horror, saw the
wizard pummeled to the ground. Lior followed, landing not
far from him, hovering over him, protecting him. The dust in
the air billowed around them, clouding her sight.
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Chapter Twenty-Seven
An inch from hitting Paladin’s head, Rylen stopped, a
confused frown marring his face. He squeezed his eyes shut
and shook his head. He opened them again. At once, Paladin
noticed the dark tinge to his eyes had disappeared. Joy leapt
in his heart. The absence of the coloring meant defeat of the
rogue beast, Arcane. If not death the beast had been beaten
or weakened to such a degree he no longer maintained
control over Rylen.
He lowered his weapon, the point angled at the stone
beneath his feet. “Rylen?”
After several moments, his brother nodded. His gaze
searched his surroundings. “What am I doing here?”
Paladin stood, slid his swords into their sheaves. Without
a word, he moved to his brother and wrapped his arms
around him. He embraced him for the first time in years. At
his touch, Rylen stiffened, but soon relaxed.
“Do you not remember anything?” Paladin asked.
A groan, followed by sudden tension of his body, came
from Rylen. “What have I done?”
Shifting his hands to Rylen’s shoulders, Paladin drew
back to stare into his brother’s pain-filled blue gaze. “Not
you. Arcane. Come, this battle is not over yet. The remaining
rogues must be driven away.”
Worried about the battle’s course, Paladin moved away,
unfurled his wings. He leapt up and glanced at the desert
along with the skies still filled with rogue fighters. Dragons,
adult and young, swooped, their bodies moving in an
acrobatic dance of war. The crowded skies echoed with the
beat of their wings and cries. After he cleared the top of the
protective barrier to the caverns, screeches coming from
below reached him. He looked down. The sight below halted
his forward flight. Pangs lanced through his gut.
Small flocks of dracs hovered or danced on the rocks
protruding from the desert near the other side of the barrier.
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Their attention focused on the huge white dragon and her
fallen guardian.
Magical motes swirled around Lior, her form changing to
the shape of a woman. Long pale hair floated about her head
as she knelt next to the fallen man. She lifted his head onto
her lap, passing a hand over his cheek, closing her eyes, pain
etched in deep lines across her face.
Paladin swept down. He landed next to them.
Lior’s words sent streams of fear through him. “My love,
don’t leave me.”
The white dragon’s eyes flickered open, her eyes
pinpointing Paladin, stopping his approach to where she sat.
Rylen’s feet touched the ground a second later. A cry of
sorrow came from him.
Breathless, the low sob seemed strange coming from the
ethereal woman. “Dragonseeds, my dragonseeds.”
Hand trembling, Bask smoothed his knuckles down her
cheek, bringing her gaze to him. “Shhh, my love, be still. It is
time.”
She gasped, tears brimming in her eyes.
Speaking slowly, Bask’s voice was edged with agony
evident from the jagged wound tracking across his chest, he
whispered, “Release me, love.”
His words from Lior’s island sprang forth to slam with
harsh realization against Paladin’s mind.
I am not long on this world.
The strength left Paladin’s legs. He struggled not to
collapse next to Lior and beg Bask to stay.
“My beloved. This dragon’s heart has always belonged to
you. You are right, the time has come. We will depart
together. Are you ready?”
The pain-filled worry lines bracketing the wizard’s mouth
eased. With a gentle smile, he nodded. “I will go where you
are. For eternity if need be.”
Lior glanced at Paladin.
The horrible gaping wound still oozed blood. A huge blue
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black bruise covered the side of the wizard’s face. The
familiar skull cap rested on its side several feet away, leaving
his head bare. Paladin took a step back, shaking his head,
shouting in his mind for them to stay, but the words refused
to pass his lips.
“Dragonseed, you are the rightful king. Your place is set.
Go. Rule in the manner I know you are capable of.” Her
sorrowful blue gaze swerved to Rylen. “You there, younger
brother. You must find what you have lost, for until then, you
will never be able to move from this time. Remember well
though, my heart has forgiven all you have done. Now, you
must learn to forgive yourself.”
A drac, white pearl tinted scales glinting in the dim light,
landed not far from Lior’s head. Bask coughed. He blinked to
focus on Paladin. “Be strong, my son. Avaris needs your
strength now more than ever. So will your new clan leader.”
Lior ordered with a nod toward Paladin. “Leave us. Fly to
your lady and take him with you. What happens here will be
much too powerful for even a dragonseed to withstand.”
Understanding, Paladin touched his brother’s shoulder.
Rylen looked at him. Anguish and guilt burned in his eyes.
Paladin’s heart twisted at the sight. Rylen shook his head,
but Paladin insisted. “There is nothing we can do. Come.”
They took flight, Rylen trailing behind him. Paladin
glanced back at his brother. Rylen’s gaze stayed locked on
the scene unfolding below them. Paladin slowed to allow the
younger man to reach his side. He took his brother’s wrist
and tugged him forward.
For him, the sight of Lior and Bask departing Avaris cut
deep. He would not watch them die. He tried to imagine the
white dragon clan with a new leader but failed. Lior would
remain their one true clan leader.
A muffled cry escaped from Rylen. Paladin closed his eyes
against the sudden surge of magic behind him. He kept flying
in the direction of the cavern, but unable to resist, he cut a
look over his shoulder.
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Dust mingled with magical motes surrounded Lior and
Bask. Bask lay in her arms. They st
ared into each other’s
eyes, oblivious to the smaller drac not far from them.
The miniature beast straightened onto its hind legs.
Magic glowed and materialized between its front two clawed
hands. A pale glowing circle appeared with streaks of bluish
rays circling within. The power vortexed around the three
figures. The ball increased in size. Lior and Bask dimmed.
Several moments later, their flesh and bones crumbled. The
dust, all that remained of the two powerful beings, was
carried away in the breeze, leaving only the silvered skull cap
laying on the stones and sand.
Rylen pulled against Paladin’s hold on his arm.
He screamed, tears streaming down his cheeks. “Lior! ”
Paladin cut off his own anguished cry. He blinked against
the tears burning his eyes.
The power continued to build between the smaller beast’s
claws. She lifted her head and roared. The magic entered her
chest. In the swirling blink, the drac transformed into an
adult dragon, larger, a more massive beast than Lior.
Lacy scales gleamed like a thousand pearls in the
glistening bluish light. Muscles flexed and rippled across its
body. Amber eyes blazed with an internal flame as her gaze
circled the area around her. She lowered her front legs to
stand on all four while her tail swished over the desert floor.
Many dracs, dead from the battle, lay smashed on the rocks.
Each touch of her tail passing over the corpses dissolved
them into dust leaving only the creamy bones. Their lesser
powers surged to her, absorbed into her body.
“Guide us well,” he murmured.
The tail stopped. Her slit-pupil eyes focused on him.
Reptilian lips pulled up in the corners, one eye winked at
him. Paladin lifted his sword to his helm in a salute and
grinned in return.
Her aura radiated to all the lesser beasts near her. Many
roared. Paladin, unsure if they mourned Lior’s passing or
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rejoiced in the creation of a new, younger leader, listened, his
heart aching.
A choked sob came from Rylen.
Torn by this surprising event, Paladin tugged at Rylen’s
arm. “There is nothing we can do. Come, brother.”
He turned to leave, desiring to assist with driving the
remaining rogues away. He searched for the mystic dragon.
Had the great ones destroyed the monster? The sand roiled
to the right of him, a good distance from the cavern. He
stared at the place. A flock of white dracs cut a line up from
the desert. They flew in front of him, fleeing from the spot.
They extended their back legs at Rylen and him, driving
straight for their chests.
Paladin gasped. He lifted his left arm to protect his chest
and face, but the dracs caught hold of his limbs. They flew in
the direction of the cavern. Several yards behind them, the
dunes exploded with a tower of golden power. The magic
blasted everything in the near vicinity, dissolving everything
in its path into dust and glass.
The dracs holding Paladin and Rylen zipped faster. The
moment they reached the caverns, the new white dragon
leader appeared from behind them. She swooped, her huge
wings surrounded them, protecting them. Another explosion
followed.
Sand, smoke, and debris struck the new leader, driving
her toward the barrier. Paladin clasped her talon where it
wrapped around his chest.
Sensing the danger of them drawing so near to the
barrier, he shouted at her. “Stop. Now.”
Not sure she heard him, he waited, trying to see how
close they came to the protective shield over the cavern.
Breath caught in his throat, his vision blocked by her body,
he struggled to break away from her. She managed to dig her
taloned feet into the slippery ground and lean forward so she
lay almost flat, huddled over them.
“Be still, Sire, you are safe, and safe you will stay.” Her
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words came into his mind, sending waves of comfort through
him. Next to him, Rylen released a choppy sob.
“What is happening?” Paladin sank his feet into the sand,
twisting and shoved up, hoping to see.
“Sinimal is driving the mystic beast away. Fury is ruling
him. Never have I witnessed such.” Rolling to her side, she
loosened the protection of her wings a bit so he might have a
better view of the scene.
Dust, stirred by the wind and generated from the
dragons’ wings, gusted, dancing up to the sky. Gaps in the
dusky clouds revealed Arcane hovering below Sinimal. The
great black dragon sent fiery streams down on the rogue,
ripping holes in his wings and opening wider the slashes
covering Arcane’s body.
“See, Sinimal drives him away. Do not fear, Arcane
along with his minions are finished.” The husky comment
vibrated through his body.
Her words repeated what he witnessed. Arcane, injured,
hopefully with mortal wounds, fled south from his own
father. The massive mystic dragon flew close to the ground.
His agonized cries echoed above the continuing battle.
Paladin glanced at the white dragon, holding him safe. He
sent silent thanks to her for her aide. He waited for joy to
come to him for their victory against such horrific odds, but
only sorrow for the loss of so many pooled in his mind.
Seren’s sweet face appeared in his mind, sending a need to
see her spiraling through him.
“Release me.”
“As you say.” She set him on his feet beside her. “Go then
to your female. She is safe. Take with you this brother. He
too is done with this fight.”
Stepping away, intending to fly to the caverns, he
stopped, faced her and bowed low. “My thanks to you.”
A low rumble came from deep in her throat. “None are
needed. We have fought for our mutual survival here.”
“Still, you saved both Rylen and myself. That debt I can
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never repay.” He straightened, lifting his eyes to meet hers.
“Tell me your name. It will be written for all to know the
greatness of the new White Dragon Clan leader.”
“Melina, my king. Now go, your lady yearns for news of
your safety.”
He nodded, turning to the entrance. After he’d taken a
few steps, Ren materialized from a cloud of dust to his right.
The wizard, leaning heavy on his staff, stopped when he
caught sight of him.
Blood oozed from a deep slash on the top of Ren’s right
leg. Paladin hurried to his side. He pulled Ren’s arm over his
shoulders.
“You were careless, I see.”
“Nonsense. A mere scratch.” Ren grinned at him.
“Then you don’t need my help?”
“I would not go so far as to say that, but it is not as bad as
it looks.” Ren chuckled. “I suppose I am becoming much too
old to prance around on backs of dragons in flight.”
“Once I find where Saxilon is hiding, I will have my true
powers. I won’t need them then.”
A shout rang out. “Sire.”
Two white dragon clan soldiers rushed to them. The
battle weary men fell to their knees before Rylen. His brother
stared at them then glanced at him, confusion evident in his
frown.
The man closer to Rylen spoke, his voice breathless, filled
with pain from the many wounds on his body and face. His
white armor showed deep gouges streaked with black burn
marks. “Our forces are being driven back. We need your
command, Sire.”
Rylen shook his head, his bottom lip trembling.
Without considering, Paladin barked at the men. “Rally
your troops and fall back toward the caverns. The white
dragon king has surrendered our father’s sword to me.”
Eyes wide, the man’s soot-coated head swung around. He
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gaped at Paladin. His open mouth, his stuttering speech
revealed his surprise. “But...”
Not uttering a sound, Rylen pulled free his sword. Hilt
first, he handed the blade to Paladin. “Do as he says. He is
the rightful king. We would do well to follow his lead.”
Nodding, the two men raced off to where they came from.
Holding Ren steady with one hand and clasping the
sword with the other, Paladin managed to steer the three of
them to the entrance. Soon, they reached the barrier. Ren
spoke the spell to open a pathway. Just as they entered, a
startled cry came from behind them. Looking over his
shoulder, Paladin witnessed Largin’s tumbling dismount.
The elder wizard half-fell, half-slid from the back of his
mount, eliciting snickers from Ren.
A bark of laughter spurted from him at the sight of Largin
hanging upside down by one foot. “Rylen, go, help him.” He
glanced at Ren and grinned. “There’s another who needs to
stay safe within when there is fighting.”
The laughter helped alleviate some of his tension, but the
torturous day along with the constant fighting had taken its
toll. Exhausted, Paladin shuffled through the gap. He’d taken
a few steps into the cavern before Seren appeared in front of
him. Feathers fluttered on the wings protruding from her
back.
She stopped her headlong dash, coming to a sliding halt
steps from them. Breathless, she stared at him. “You’re safe.”